Dodgers will start Corey Knebel again, not Max Scherzer, in NLCS Game 1

ATLANTA — Well, it worked once.

The Dodgers volition commencement Corey Knebel again successful Game 1 of their National League Championship Series against the Atlanta Braves connected Saturday. The right-handed reliever besides started Game 5 of the NL Division Series successful San Francisco connected Thursday arsenic an “opener” for Julio Urias.

Knebel pitched a scoreless inning successful that game. Right-hander Tony Gonsolin is disposable to transportation “bulk” innings against the Braves connected Saturday. He did not transportation successful the five-game NLDS.

The prime of Knebel successful NLCS Game 1 is an denotation Max Scherzer is not acceptable to commencement 2 days aft throwing 13 pitches successful the ninth inning of NLDS Game 5 2 days ago. Scherzer came retired of the bullpen to adjacent retired the bid and gain his archetypal vocation save.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts had said “the plan” was for Scherzer to commencement Game 1 against the Braves arsenic agelong arsenic helium felt acceptable aft moving retired Friday nighttime astatine Truist Park.

If Scherzer does not transportation successful Game 1, helium volition apt commencement Game 2 successful Atlanta, moving Walker Buehler backmost to Game 3 successful Los Angeles connected Tuesday. That would springiness Buehler six days’ remainder aft his NLDS Game 4 start, the archetypal clip successful Buehler’s vocation that helium started connected abbreviated rest.

Buehler has besides been a much palmy pitcher astatine Dodger Stadium (22-6, 2.30 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, .190 batting mean against) than connected the roadworthy (18-7, 3.63 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, .225 batting mean against).